Body molding garment for feminine wear



Ja 9, 196 M. HALSTEAD 3,016,057

BODY MOLDING GARMENT FOR FEMININE WEAR Filed Oct. 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m /7 2/ Mammal/dated! ATTORNEYS Jan. 9, 1962 M. HALSTEAD 3,015,057

BODY MOLDING GARMENT FOR FEMININE WEAR Filed Oct. 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Mam'anflalslead N i /w, fim Mal 32M ATTORNEYS 3,016,057 BODY MOLDING GARMENT FOR FEMININE WEAR Marian Halstead, 26 Gramercy Park S., New York, N.YL Filed Oct. 20. 1959. Ser. No. 847,603 4 Claims. (Cl. 128.549)

This invention relates generally to a garment for feminine wear and more particularly to a garment especially adapted for hose support while providing body molding without involving bulky uncomfortable elastic fabrics, etc. used in foundation garments. The garment of this invention thus seeks to provide a body molding construction which will act as a contour control for the upper torso including the lower abdomen and hips of the wearer.

The art of feminine undergarments has known a multitude of proposals to achieve body molding and in some instances, in conjunction with body molding garments providing for the function of hose support also. The garment of this invention described in detail hereinafter provides for these dual functions with this object being achieved in an improved garment having extreme daintiness and simplicity of structure with ease of production and. sizing while at the same time the garment achieves molding of the flesh without creating rolls, bulges or protuberances of flesh.

Under the object of providing an improved garment, the garment of this invention is constructed so as to take an unusal amount of strain without cutting into the flesh at any point as, for example, when a strain is applied through hose supporting garters or when pull, weight or stress of any other kind is attached to the bottom edge of the garment. The body molding garment of the instant invention achieves a sheath-like smoothness, crossing in the front and secured by adjustable fastening means disposed in front of each ilium such as to provide control and support for the upper hip and abdominal area without creating undue pressure.

The human body has a tendency to varyin firmness and contour just above the crestof the ilium and at this area m st prior known confining garments have a great tendency to cut into the flesh, creating rolls orbulges by displacing the flesh. Another object of the instant invention is to provide a garment constructed so that strain such. as encountered in hose support is taken directly over the crest of the ilium and the. required shaping and removal of excess fabric fullness at each side. waist is. achieved by inserting or applying stretchable ingredients at least to and along the upper sides of the garment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a body molding garment having a body conforming fit which will give a smooth silhouette. and at the same timeoffer the greatest figure support even though made of. very sheer material, without allowing any protrusion of flesh and creating any friction to the skin, and a garment that most comfortably moldsthe. body while supporting stockings.

Other and more. specific objects of the invention in addition to those generally discussed hereinabove will be appreciated by reference to the specific description of, a particular embodiment of the invention as given hereinafter in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGUREI is a rear elevational view of. the body molding garment of the instant invention;

FIGURE. 2 is a front elevational view of. the garment of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the garment of FIGURES andZ shown in anopened out state; and,

FIGURE 4 is a detail view illustrating the cut out con- United States Patent 2. tour of the'end of the member formed into the garment in FIGURES 1 through 3.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 3, the body molding garment is formed from an elongated generally crescent shaped member 10. As specifically illustrated, this member is made up of two similar sections-11 and 12 joined by a center seam 13 which bisects the member. The member 10 is provided with releasable fastening" means adjacent its opposite ends to secure the member-around the waist of the wearer. Thus, the garment, from the opened out state shown in FIGURE 3, has the opposite ends thereof connected to form the garment into a relation as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 when positioned in waist encircling relation on the wearer.

The fastening means at the opposite ends of the member 19 may take a variety of forms such as snaps, buttons, hooks and eyes, ties or the recently introduced Velcro adjustable closure. On the drawings conventional snap fasteners 15 have been illustrated. It will be noted that a series of three snaps in two groups are shown provided on one end of the crescent shaped member 10, thus permitting a degree of adjustment of the point of connection of the snap elements on the other end of the member to accommodate various waist sizes as may be desired.

The crescent shaped member 10 has a generally longitudinally extending concavely curved edge 16 and a generally longitudinally extending convexly curved edge 17'. These edges are suitably hemmed at 18 and 19, respectively, and to enhance the appearance of the. garment'are shown as suitably provided with a scalloped edging 20 and 21, respectively. The convexly curved edge 17 has the ends thereof, curving relatively sharply at 22 and 23 toward and joining with the ends of the concavely curved edge 16, thus forming the ends of the member 10.

Although in the embodiment specifically illustrated the lower edge 17 of member 10 has been shown with a more or less uniformly curved continuous edge, it is to be understood that within the scope of the instant invention this edge may be contoured to more readily conform to the'body of the wearer and to this end may additionally be provided with sections of elastic, gathers or darts to remove flare or fullness for more effective conformity with the wearers anatomy and body moldingof the wearers anatomy.

As illustrated on the drawings, the end portions of the member 10 are provided with reinforcing panels 30 and 31, respectively, sewn in place on the sections 11 and 12, respectively. The snap fasteners 15 are aflixed to thesev reinforcingpanels in positions such that when the garment is applied in waist encircling relation on the wearer, the end portions of the member 10 will cross each other at an inclined angle in the relation as clearly shown on FIGURE 2. This crossing of the member 19 at the front of the wearer with the fastening means disposed at points in front of each ilium, promotes molding of the upper abdomenwithout cutting at either the top or bottom edge of. the frontwhen the body is in movement and at the same time gives a supporting action for the lower abdomen without unduepressure.

The end portions of the member 10 may be contoured by providing dart means as shown at 35 and 36 tapering inwardly from the relatively sharply curving portions 22 and 23', respectively, ofthe convexly curved edge 17. The formation of the ends of member-10 to be formed into the state as shown in FIGURE 3 may take the form as shown in FIGURE 4 wherein a cut-37 is formed in the end of the material and the material on opposite sides of the cut overlapped to give a two fabric layer dart structure such as shown at 35 in FIGURE 3. The material at the outer end ofcut 37' iscut out as shown at38 so that the overlapped layers of material in the dart structure will form the end corner contour as shown in FIG- URE 3. It will, of course, be recognized that other means may be adopted, aside from the specific dart structure illustrated, to remove excess material and obtain end countouring at the end portions of the member all within the scope of the instant invention.

To provide for form fitting of the garment and particularly smooth fit and comfort across the sides of the waist and over the crest of each ilium, a strip of elastic 40 is secured along the concave edge 16 of member 10. This strip in the specific embodiment extends only between the ends of the reinforcing panels 30 and 31. However, the important portions along the edge 16 for the provision of an elastic or stretchable character exist at each side of the garment where the edge 16 passes across the sides of the waist of the wearer and over the crest of each ilium in use. It will thus be appreciated that elastic may be used around the entire top edge or only at the portions of the edge 16 which will pass across the opposite sides of the waist of the wearer in use. Whereas a strip of elastic 40 has been specifically described and illustrated, it will be appreciated that any suitable means may be employed to achieve the desired elasticity and stretchability of the portions of the edge 16 which pass across the sides of the waist of the wearer in use.

Although a single crescent shaped member is incorporated in the garment illustrated, it is deemed within the scope of the instant invention that a series of generally crescent shaped members may be used one above or below the other and so combined to create a contoured body molding garment covering a more substantial portion of the lower half of the torso including the thighs. In the case of such a multiple generally crescent shaped member construction, the ends of the members may be contoured or shaped so as to remove any excess fullness likely to occur in the area where they are to cross and be connected and the top and bottom edges of the members may be contoured to improve the body molding features of the garment.

The convexly curved edge 17 of the member 10 has attached thereto a series of four hose supporters at spaced positions along such edge. Two such supporters 45 and 46 are attached at positions spaced inwardly of the relatively sharply curving portions 22 and 23, respectively, so as to be disposed in use directly forward of the respective thighbones of the wearer. This relationship is shown more clearly in FIGURES 1 and 2. The other pair of hose supporters 47 and 48 are attached to the convexly curved edge 17 at positions spaced on opposite sides of the midpoint of such edge or as shown in FIGURES l and 3, on opposite sides of the bisecting seam 13. Thus, the supporters 47 and 48 are disposed to be located in use directly rearwardly of the respective thighbones of the wearer.

The positioning of the hose supporters as described and illustrated, provides for balancing of the pull applied to the garment by the stockings upon leg movements of the wearer. The strain applied by the hose is thus taken across the crest of each ilium without creating undue pressure at any point against the wearers body.

It is to be understood that while a particular example of the body molding garment of the present invention has been illustrated and certain variations in construction discussed hereinabove, innumerable variations of construction may be made within the scope and spirit of the claims of the present invention. Thus, within the scope of the claims numerous additions, changes and even omissions of structural detail shown and described herein may be made in carrying out the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim.

1. A body molding garment comprising an elongated member having a generally longitudinally extending concavely curved edge to lie along the top of the garment and a generally longitudinally extending convexly curved edge to lie along the lower end of the garment, said member having end portions to be overlapped in wearing the garment, said convexly curved edge adjacent the ends thereof curving relatively sharply toward and joining with said concavely curved edge to form said end portions of said member, means adjacent the opposite ends of said member and adjacent said concavely curved edge of said member for releasably securing said member around the waist of the wearer with said end portions overlapping to cross at the top edge of the garment and at a sufiiciently inclined acute angle to create counter tensions across the hips of the wearer to mold and smoothly contain the upper hip area and abdominal protrusion of the wearer in use, the overlapping area of said crossed end portions being unconnected intermediate said securing means to permit free edjustment of the garment to the upper abdominal protrusion of individual wearers, said member having resi'iently yieldable means incorporated along the concave edge of said member with such resiliently yieldable means being disposed to at least be efiectively resiliently yieldable across the sides of the waist of the wearer and over the crest of the ilium in use, and means at spaced positions along the convex edge of said member for attachment of hose supporters.

2. A body molding garment comprising an elongated member having a generally longitudinally extending concavely curved edge and a generally longitudinally extending convexly curved edge, said convexly curved edge adjacent the tends thereof curving relatively sharply toward and joining with said concavely curved edge to form the end portions of said member, means adjacent the opposite ends of said member for releasably securing said member around the waist of the wearer with said end portions of said member overlapping to cross at an inclined angle to each other, said member having elastic means secured along the concave edge of said member to at least pass across the sides of the waist of the wearer and over the crest of the ilium in use, hose supporters attached to said convexly curved edge at positions spaced inwardly of the relatively sharply curving portions of such edge to be disposed in use directly forward of the wearers thighbone, and further hose supporters attached to said convexly curved edge at positions spaced on opposite sides of the midpoint of such edge to be disposed in use directly rearwardly of the wearers thighbone.

3. A body molding garment comprising an elongated member having a generally longitudinally extending concavely curved edge and a generally longitudinally extending convexly curved edge, said convexly curved edge adjacent the ends thereof curving relatively sharply toward and joining with said concavely curved edge to form the end portions of said member, dart means .tapering inwardly of the relatively sharply curving portions of said convexly curved edge to form the ends of said member into figure conforming contours for supporting engagement with the lower abdomen, means adjacent the opposite ends of said member for releasably securing said member around the waist of the wearer with said end portions of said member overlapping to cross at the top edge of the garment and at a sutficiently inclined angle to each other to mold and smoothly contain the upper hip area and abdominal protrusion of the wearer in use, the overlapping area of said crossed end portions being unconnected intermediate said securing means to permit free adjustment of the garment to the upper abdominal protrusion of individual wearers, said member having elastic means secured along the concave edge of said member to at least pass across the sides of the waist of the wearer and over the crest of the ilium in use, and means at spaced positions along the convex edge of said member for attachment of hose supporters.

4. A body molding garment comprising an elongated member having a generally longitudinally extending concavely curved edge and a generally longitudinally extending convexly curved edge, said convexly curved edge adjacent the ends thereof curving relatively sharply toward and joining with said concavely curved edge to form the end portions of said member, means securing said end portions of said member in overlapping relationship to cross at an inclined angle to each other so that said member may be positioned around the waist of the wearer, said member having elastic means secured along the concave edge of said member to at least pass across the sides of the waist of the wearer and over the'crest of the ilium in use, hose supporters attached to said convexly curved edge at positions spaced inwardly of the relatively sharply curving portions of such edge to be disposed in use directly forward of the'wearers thighbone, and further hose supporters attached to said convexly curved edge at positions spaced on opposite sides of the midpoint of such edge to be disposed in use directly rearwardly of the wearers thighbone.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,612,067 Shepard Dec. 28, 1926 2,431,571 Lehr Nov. 25, 1947 2,530,850 Atchley Nov. 21, 1950 2,661,002 Silverman Dec. 1, 1953 

